Legolas's Name
by Manwathiel Melda
Summary: Aragorn calls Legolas by his hated nickname by mistake. Legolas is already upset about something else. Characters: Legolas, Aragorn, the twins, Ellie, Arwen, and Mellon. Takes place in Rivendell after the Council of Elrond.
1. A Nickname for Legolas

Lego By Manwathiel  
**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. **  
Summery: Aragorn has called Legolas by his nickname, Lego, something the elf hates.

Aragorn followed Legolas, determined to know what was bothering his elven friend. What was wrong?

Legolas could sense the Ranger behind him, but decided to ignore the man. He needed time alone on this day. He had left the Fellowship and the rest of the elves and walked a short ways off for this reason, hoping no one would follow him. He should have known Estel would know something was wrong.

"Legolas, mellon-nin, what is wrong?" Aragorn asked as he approached the elf. When he did not respond, the human shook the elf by the shoulder and repeated his question. Legolas looked up slowly.

"What is wrong?" he asked, his voice a mere whisper. "Nothing is wrong, Aragorn."

"I don't believe that, my friend. Please, won't you tell me?" Aragorn's grey eyes pleaded with the elf's blue ones. Legolas shook his head.

"It is nothing, Aragorn," he said again, trying to convince himself. "I am fine. Don't you believe me?"

"No, I don't. We've known each other for years, mellon-nin. Can't you trust me?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas paused before speaking. "Perhaps, Aragorn. But you follow me and ask me questions when I wish to be left alone. Can't you see that? And why can't you trust me when I say that I'm fine? Because I am, Aragorn. Nothing is wrong."

Aragorn looked at his friend. "Because I can see that you are hurting," he said simply.

"No, Aragorn. I am fine. Please don't bother me anymore about it," Legolas replied.

"Listen to me, Legolas," Aragorn demanded. "I know you are hurting. Won't you let me help? You are my best friend, and I don't like seeing you in pain."

"Aragorn, honestly. It is nothing. Please, just let me be alone," Legolas pleaded. He wished the Ranger would leave, not bother him anymore. Legolas knew his heart was hurting, and it would never heal.

"You do not usually push me away," Aragorn said, his voice injured. Legolas felt bad that his friend was pained, but there was nothing he could do. He refused to give into the human.

"I am sorry, Estel," the elf said. "There is nothing you can do." He turned away from Aragorn, unable to bear the searching he saw in Ranger's grey eyes.

"Alright, Lego. I will let you go." Aragorn had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Legolas spun around. The light in the elf's blue eyes was savage.

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT!" Legolas shouted, his voice angry. "DO NOT call me Lego!" With that and a furious glare at the Ranger, the elf stormed back to the main part of Rivendell.

* * *

Legolas walked around slowly, muttering to himself in Silvan, his native elvish dialect. He was fuming that Aragorn would call him Lego. Nobody ever called him that. Anymore. And how did Aragorn even hear of the name? No one called had called Legolas that in years. It was a long time before the Ranger was even born that Legolas insisted others stop calling him Lego. The only ones who would dare were the twin sons of Elrond. But that was many years ago.

Legolas thought to himself. It actually wasn't as long ago as he thought. The last time he had visited Rivendell, which was only about forty years ago, Elladan had called him Lego. That had annoyed the blond elf, but he tried not to fuss about it. He had calmly asked Elladan to not call him that anymore, and the older twin complied. But Aragorn had not been around; it was during his service to King Thengel of Rohan and Ecthelion, Steward of Gondor. So how did Aragorn know Legolas's hated nickname?

* * *

Aragorn was surprised by his friend's outburst. Legolas was usually very calm, so this was strange. Aragorn knew better than to go after the elf, so he decided to try and find Arwen once more. He knew he would be leaving soon, and Arwen wouldn't like that. Oh well. She should be used to him leaving for months at a time by now.

Arwen was nowhere to be found, but Aragorn did find Elladan and Elrohir in their room.

"Hey, little bro," Elladan said. "What's up with Lego?"

"Dan, he told you not to call him that. Remember?" Elrohir glanced at his twin. "He gets really mad if anybody calls him that."

"I know," Aragorn said simply. The twins exchanged a look Aragorn could not read.

"You mean..." "You called him that to his face?" the twins asked in surprised voices. Aragorn nodded slowly.

"But why?" Elrohir asked.

"Because I wasn't thinking, Ro," Aragorn replied. "What am I going to do? Legolas will kill me."

"Estel, Legolas will not kill you. He's your friend. Friends don't kill each other just because of a simple misunderstanding," Elrohir said gently.

"I hope you're right, Ro. Although I think this was more than a misunderstanding. Legolas was furious with me," Aragorn said, ignoring the fact that Elrohir had called him by his childhood name.

"That's okay. By the time you leave Rivendell, he will be fine. Trust me. I know." Elrohir gave his brother an encouraging smile. Aragorn thanked his brothers and left, looking once more for Arwen.

_To be continued... _


	2. The Confindants

Lego By Manwathiel  
**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except Ellie and Mellon. **  
Summery: Aragorn has called Legolas by his nickname, Lego, something the elf hates. Now Ellie is trying to help Legolas.  
A/N: Mellon is Aragorn's stuffed horse.

"Legolas, is something wrong?" a calm voice asked from behind. The blond elf turned around, surprised to see Ellie.

"No," he said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you were muttering in Silvan," Ellie said with a smile. "If you wanted anyone else besides me to understand you, you would be best speaking Sindarin or Common."

Legolas grinned and blushed slightly, knowing she was right. He loved the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled. "Yes, I supposed you're right. As usual."

"As usual? I would not say that…" Ellie muttered.

"Silvan, Ellie?" Legolas asked, a smile still on his young face. Ellie nodded, still distracted. Legolas grabbed her by the hand, dragging her off.

"Where are we going, Legolas?" Ellie asked, confused.

"Our special place," Legolas replied.

* * *

Again, Aragorn went looking for Arwen, but she was still nowhere to be found. He walked to his room, the one he had stayed in as a child. He was pleased to find everything in its proper place, the desk, his bed, the few books that were in his room. And more importantly, Mellon.

Mellon was Aragorn's white stuffed horse, which had always been there for the human. Aragorn was fond of the horse, given to him by Elrond for his third birthday. As a young child, he had clung to Mellon, and Mellon brought comfort to him when he was afraid. Now the horse sat on Aragorn's bed, waiting for his return from his many journeys. Aragorn had named the horse Mellon, meaning 'friend,' because of something Lord Elrond had told him when he gave him the stuffed animal.

"He will be your friend forever, and he will be there for you, Estel, my son," Elrond had told him on his birthday. "He will protect you against all the bad things in your dreams and in your life." And Lord Elrond was right. The white horse was always there for the Ranger whenever he needed him, helping him when he was sad or giving him comfort when he needed it most.

"Mellon, what happened out there? I didn't mean to upset Legolas. I had no idea he would get that mad. It was an accident," Aragorn told the horse. "Do you think he'll forgive me?"

Aragorn paused for a minute, wishing he were again a little boy in Elrond's arms. He could pretend that was the case. When he was younger, he used to pretend Mellon could talk to him. They would hold conversations about whatever was bothering Aragorn, and especially the things he couldn't tell Ada Elrond.

"Mellon, what's wrong with Legolas? Do you think he will forgive me?" Aragorn repeated the question, certain Mellon would answer.

"_I think he will,"_ Aragorn heard the horse say. _"It will take time, Estel."_

"Will Lord Elrond ever forgive me? I love her, but I hate the strife it's caused between me and the only father I've ever known. Will he ever love me the way he used to?" Aragorn asked.

"_I don't know, Estel. He might,"_ Mellon said. Aragorn's heart was pained at this, and he wished Elrond would forgive him. He knew the Elven Lord needed time, just as Legolas needed time to heal.

* * *

Legolas knew one of the ways to ease his pain was talking to Ellie. He knew she would listen and understand.

"Okay, Legolas. I know that there is something bothering you, and I would like to know what so that I can help if that is possible," Ellie said gently to her friend once they had reached their special place.

Legolas looked around, making sure they were alone. He knew he could tell Ellie anything, especially here, by the river. This was where their friendship had really started, where they had turned into something more than just friends. He knew she would never tell anyone else what he told her, since they were in their spot. This was where she told him much about her life, and now he would do the same.

"Ellie," he started slowly. "Do you remember when you visited Mirkwood for the first time, and it was right after…" Ellie nodded here, making it clear she knew.

"Is that what is bothering you, Legolas?" she asked calmly. He nodded.

"Partly. But there is more that you don't know."

"Legolas, you know you can tell me anything, and I will listen, just as you did for me all those years ago," Ellie whispered. "This is our special spot, and nothing you say here will go beyond me. You know that, mellon-nin."

"Alright. Well, you remember your trip to Mirkwood, right? And now you want to know why I'm… sad today, right?" Legolas asked. Ellie nodded. "Naneth," he whispered softly. "The… anniversary of…"

"It is okay, Legolas. Do not say it; I understand." Ellie scooted closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. She reached up and wiped the tears that were on his cheeks away. "Do not cry, Legolas."

"I'm sorry, Ellie," he said.

"Do not be. It is not your fault. But that is not all that is bothering you, is it?" Ellie asked. "Earlier you were muttering something about Aragorn."

"Yeah. Aragorn." Legolas looked into Ellie's hazel eyes, displaying a deep sense of trust in him.

"What is wrong with him? I thought you two were friends," Ellie said. Legolas winced slightly. "You do not have to tell me if you do not want to, but I think it would help you."

"Alright." Legolas was silent for a while before replying. "This goes back to around the time Naneth… died. Um… I really don't know how to put this…"

"Just tell me what happened with Aragorn. The rest will come in its own time," Ellie said gently. Tears came to Legolas's eyes; she sounded Naneth. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"You know how I hate the nickname Lego, right? Well, Aragorn called me that."

"I am sorry, Legolas. If you do not mind my asking, why do you hate it so much?"

"Well, when I was younger, my brothers called me Lego, and I hated it. Then, shortly before Naneth's…" He paused, unable to go on. Ellie waited silently. He took a deep, shaky breath before continuing. "Ada made them stop. After that, the only one who called me Lego was Turin, but only when he was teasing me. Then, when you came to visit, Elladan started calling me by that name. It was only a few times, and I asked him to stop. He did. But then, the last time I visited Rivendell, he called me Lego again. I asked him again to stop, and he did.

"But Aragorn was not around, and I have no idea how he even knew about the name. Normally, I wouldn't have yelled like I did, but this has been a bad day from the start. It always has been.

"And only Turin ever called me that, besides Elladan. But he is gone," Legolas said sadly. "Gone forever."


	3. Do Not Be Late

Lego By Manwathiel  
**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except Ellie and Mellon. **  
Summery: Aragorn has called Legolas by his nickname, Lego, something the elf hates. Now Ellie is trying to help Legolas.

Ellie wrapped her arms around Legolas, sensing that was what he needed most. She could feel his pain, similar to her own long ago. "Nan Duin, meleth-nin" she said softly.

Legolas sighed. Their secret words. 'Valley River.' Their words that went with their place. He knew she would never tell any one else.

"Have you talked to Ada Elrond or Master Glorfindel?" Ellie asked, glancing at him. He looked up, a sad smile on his face.

"No, I haven't," he admitted. "I should, shouldn't I?" Glorfindel was always happy to help Legolas with any problems he had and had told him to come for advice whenever he needed it. Now seemed like as good a time as any to visit the older elf.

"Not right now, Legolas. We are talking now," Ellie said, smiling. He returned her smile sadly. His mind was elsewhere.

"I don't even know how Aragorn found out about that name," Legolas said slowly. "I mean, I know Elladan has called me that, but that was when Aragorn was gone. How does he know about it?"

"Could Elladan have said it at one point?" Ellie asked.

"Perhaps. I would really like to find out though." Legolas was deep in thought when Ellie's gently touch pulled him out.

"It is getting rather late, Legolas. Perhaps we should return home," she said. Her voice was calm, but Legolas could tell she was getting annoyed. He wondered if it was partly his fault. He grabbed her arm as she started to leave.

"Ellie, what's wrong?" he asked, worried about the girl for whom he had come to care greatly.

"It is nothing. I was just thinking," Ellie responded.

"About what?" Legolas put on his puppy-dog face, knowing she could not resist. She whacked him gently. He smiled.

"About Arwen… and… my parents," she replied quietly. Legolas drew her into a hug, pulling her close to him. He knew she would not talk about her parents, who died when she was a little girl. He decided to talk about a safer subject, one that most likely would not have Ellie in tears.

"What about Arwen? What has that girl been up to lately?" he asked, a smirk playing on his face. Ellie frowned.

"She has been very distant for several months now. She does not talk to me as much; I think it is Aragorn. He has her distracted, and… I miss my best friend," Ellie admitted softly.

"Ellie," Legolas whispered her name gently. She turned her head and looked up at him, her eyes expectant. His lips claimed hers, and Legolas drew the kiss out, enjoying the feel of Ellie's lips on his.

* * *

Aragorn finally found Arwen in the Great Hall. She was speaking calmly with her father and Glorfindel, although Elrond raised his eyebrow when he saw Aragorn. He thought they might be talking about him.

"Aragorn." Arwen's soft voice drew him out of his musings. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the Great Hall.

"Arwen, what are you doing?" he asked. "I interrupted something, didn't I?"

"No, you saved me from another lecture from Ada, Aragorn," Arwen replied, still dragging him. "Don't worry. I just was telling him something. You didn't interrupt anything. Trust me."

"Alright. If that's what you say, Arwen," Aragorn said. "But where are we going?" She did not answer him. Instead, she led him to a bridge in the Garden of Twilight.

* * *

Legolas pulled away from Ellie, slightly surprised at what just happened. He had never kissed her like that before. Ellie looked surprised and a little bit scared.

"Ellie, we're not children anymore," Legolas tried to reassure her. "We're adults, and that was a long time ago. We were teenagers, Ellie!"

"I know," her tentative reply came.

"Ellie, you're worried. What's up?" Legolas asked, his voice calm. She shook her head, her long dark hair blowing gently in the breeze.

"It's suppertime, Legolas. You know how Ada Elrond is about meals. We must be on time!" she exclaimed. She grabbed his hand and started to drag him back towards the main halls of Rivendell.

Legolas knew this to be true, although Lord Elrond was not as strict as Legolas's own father Thranduil. He remembered a time when he had been severely punished for being late to supper.

_Legolas was annoyed that his father had to talk to him again. "Ada, I'm sorry. Okay? Elrohir and I just lost track of time while we were out on the practice fields!" He closed his eyes. _

"_That's not the problem, Legolas," Thranduil said, lowing his voice slightly. "I told you yesterday to be on time to meals, correct?" The boy nodded slowly. _

"_And you were late, correct?" Legolas nodded once more. "Then do you think I am wrong to punish that?" _

"_No, Ada. You are correct to punish me," the boy said quietly, staring at the ground. _

"_Good," Thranduil said. "Now, I want you present for every meal ON TIME for the next two weeks. Do you understand?" Legolas nodded. _

"_Yes, Ada." _

"_And you are forbidden from drawing," his father added. "Is this understood?" _

_Legolas swallowed hard before answering. "Yes, Ada. Understood," he said softly, tears springing to his sky-blue eyes. What was he supposed to do if he was banned from drawing? "Am I dismissed?" he asked, blinking back his tears. _

_Thranduil nodded. "Yes, you are dismissed. Do not be late for supper tonight, Legolas," he added as he watched his son slip silently across the throne room floors. _

This had happened when Lord Elrond's family had visited Mirkwood shortly after Laurelin's death, when Legolas and Elrohir had been late for a meal.

Legolas laughed, and Ellie turned to glance at him, surprised. He smiled and pushed her forward. It would not be good to miss supper, especially when Legolas knew the kinds of punishments Lord Elrond could come up with.


End file.
